Drug Policy Alliance

THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE WORKS TO END THE WAR ON DRUGS AND BUILD IN ITS PLACE AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO DRUGS GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, COMPASSION, HEALTH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

TREATING DRUG USE AS A HEALTH ISSUE, NOT A CRIMINAL PROBLEM. CRIMINALIZATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE DRUG WAR, WITH VAST INVESTMENTS IN PUNISHMENT AT THE COST OF SCANT SUPPORT FOR SERVICES. TODAY, DRUG POSSESSION IS THE MOST ARRESTED OFFENSE IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH MORE THAN ONE-MILLION ARRESTS IN 2021, OFTENTIMES A PERSON'S FIRST CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. AT THE SAME TIME, OVERDOSE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH, WITH MORE ONE-MILLION LIVES LOST IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND RATES SKYROCKETING AMONG PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE ADVOCATES A HOLISTIC SOLUTION: ENDING CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR ALL DRUGS WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO ADDICTION SERVICES TO IMPROVE PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND WELLBEING.HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:- DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED CAMPAIGNS TO ADVANCE OUR POLICY MODEL IN MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES- CONVENED A NATIONAL ADVOCACY TABLE FOR ALLIES TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ALLIES- SUPPORTED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DECRIMINALIZATION POLICIES- ADVANCED OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTERS

ADVANCING MARIJUANA JUSTICE. THE MOVEMENT FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, BUT IN 2021 THERE WERE STILL MORE THAN 300,000 ARRESTS FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION, AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST UNDER PROHIBITION ARE NOT BENEFITING FROM THE BURGEONING LEGAL INDUSTRY AT THE SCALE THEY DESERVE. DPA SERVES AS THE LEGALIZATION MOVEMENT'S TECHNICAL POLICY ADVISOR, CENTERING COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT, RACIAL EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN OUR APPROACH. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:- SPEARHEADED EFFORTS TO REPEAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IN CONGRESS - SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA IN SEVERAL JURISDICTIONS- ADVOCATED FOR THE FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GROUNDBREAKING RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PROVISIONS IN NEW YORK'S LEGALIZATION LAW.

MAKING SURE CIVIL SYSTEMS HELP AND NOT HARM. THE LOGIC OF THE DRUG WAR HAS CONTAMINATED MANY AREAS OF OUR LIVES BEYOND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM - IN HEALTHCARE, CHILD WELFARE, EMPLOYMENT, PUBLIC BENEFITS, HOUSING, DRUG TREATMENT, IMMIGRATION, AND MORE. SURVEILLANCE, NONCONSENSUAL DRUG TESTING, MANDATORY REPORTING, ZERO TOLERANCE, AND COERCED TREATMENT HAS LED TO FAMILIES SEPARATED, PEOPLE MADE HOMELESS, PEOPLE DENIED SOCIAL BENEFITS, INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY, AND MORE. DPA SEEKS TO ELIMINATE PUNISHMENT IN CIVIL SYSTEMS TO HELP PEOPLE TODAY - AND TO ENSURE WE DO NOT REPLICATE THE HARMS THE DRUG WAR WHEN EXPANDING SERVICES AS ALTERNATIVES TO CRIMINALIZATION.HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:- DEVELOPED A CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING FOR PRIOR MARIJUANA USE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZING FIGHTING FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE- SUPPORTED CAMPAIGNS TO ELIMINATE NONCONSENSUAL DRUG TESTING OF PREGNANT PEOPLE AND THOSE GIVING BIRTH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS FIGHTING FOR REPRODUCTIVE AND FAMILY JUSTICE- ADVANCED A REPEAL TO THE BANS ON SNAP AND TANF BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS AND THOSE WITH FELONY DRUG CONVICTIONS- HOSTED A DRUG RESEARCHERS' ROUNDTABLE, A MONTHLY VIRTUAL MEETING FOR ACADEMICS AND RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD OF DRUG POLICY, CRIMINOLOGY, AND ADDICTION AND RELATED FIELDS TO PRESENT THEIR WORK TO FELLOW SCHOLARS, ACADEMICS, RESEARCHERS, AND DRUG POLICY ADVOCATES.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE CONFERENCES AND SPECIAL PROJECTS.DPA FUNDS AND PARTNERS WITH STATE-BASED, CONSTITUENCY-BASED, SINGLE-ISSUE, AND SMALLER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE DISBURSED $800,000 TO ROUGHLY 40 ORGANIZATIONS ANNUALLY THROUGH OUR GRANTS PROGRAM AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OUR NETWORK OF FUNDED PARTNERS. WE ALSO FORM ALLIANCES WITH NON-DRUG POLICY GROUPS ON SPECIFIC SHARED PRIORITIES, FACILITATE REGIONAL CONNECTIONS AMONG ALLIES, ENGAGE PROMINENT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, AND CULTIVATE TARGETED CONSTITUENCIES. EVERY OTHER YEAR WE HOST THE INTERNATIONAL DRUG POLICY REFORM CONFERENCE, THE PREMIER GATHERING OF THE REFORM MOVEMENT (THIS HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED SINCE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC).HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:- SUPPORTED 31 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE PROMOTING POLICY CHANGE FUND OF OUR ADVOCACY GRANTS PROGRAM- SUPPORTED 8 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND OF OUR ADVOCACY GRANTS PROGRAM- SHARED OUR EXPERTISE WITH COALITIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO DECARCERATE PRISONS AND JAILS, REFORM BAIL PRACTICES, ADDRESS POLICING, ADVANCE AN ANTI-RACISM AGENDA, END CRIMINAL IMMIGRATION PRACTICES, AND MORE.